Written Assembly Questions tabled on 3 September 2014 for answer on 10 September 2014
R - Signifies the Member has declared an interest.
W - Signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
(Self identifying Question no. shown in brackets)
Written Questions must be tabled at least five working days before they are to be answered. In practice, Ministers aim to answer within seven/eight days but are not bound to do so. Answers are published in the language in which they are provided, with a translation into English of responses provided in Welsh.
To ask the First Minister
Rhodri Glyn Thomas (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): What representations has the First Minister or his Cabinet colleagues made to the Bank of England about a currency union with an independent Scotland? (WAQ67684)
Answer received on 9 September 2014
The First Minister (Carwyn Jones): I have made no such representations.
Rhodri Glyn Thomas (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Under what terms of the First Minister's veto powers will he block the use of sterling as a currency by the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man? (WAQ67685)
Answer received on 9 September 2014
Carwyn Jones: I have no intention of intervening in the well established monetary arrangements that operate in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Under those arrangements, neither the Channel Islands nor the Isle of Man have any direct role in setting UK monetary policy.
Rhodri Glyn Thomas (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the First Minister outline what powers he has, under the Government of Wales Act, to set monetary policy within the UK? (WAQ67686)
Answer received on 9 September 2014
Carwyn Jones: Under the terms of our devolution settlement, monetary policy is a matter for the UK Government and the Bank of England. The economic advantages that follow from full membership of the sterling currency area are of enormous benefit to Wales, and are underpinned by our position as an integral part of the United Kingdom.
Rhodri Glyn Thomas (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the First Minister make a statement on the economic conditions that Welsh Government believes should determine whether or not interest rates rise? (WAQ67687)
Answer received on 9 September 2014Carwyn Jones: Under the terms of our devolution settlement, monetary policy is a matter for the UK Government and the Bank of England.
Rhodri Glyn Thomas (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr): Will the First Minister make a statement on the Bank of England's quantitative easing programme? (WAQ67688)
Answer received on 9 September 2014
Carwyn Jones: Under the terms of our devolution settlement, monetary policy is a matter for the UK Government and the Bank of England.
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills
Aled Roberts (North Wales): Will the Minister provide figures on the total Pupil Deprivation Grant awarded to each local authority for each of the following academic years: 2012-13; 2013-14; 2014-15? (WAQ67681)
Answer received on 9 September 2014
The Minister for Education and Skills (Huw Lewis): The Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) is administered by financial year. The information is given on this basis in the table below.
| PUPIL DEPRIVATION GRANT – REGIONAL EDUCATION CONSORTIA AND LOCAL AUTHORITY ALLOCATIONS | ||||
| 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 (excluding allocation for Looked after Children) | 2014-2015 (including allocation for Looked after Children) | |
| Ynys Mon | £643,050 | £635,850.00 | £1,412,802.00 | |
| Gwynedd | £904,050 | £917,100.00 | £1,759,806.00 | |
| Conwy | £1,012,950 | £1,057,500.00 | £2,092,122.00 | |
| Denbighshire | £1,073,250 | £1,087,200.00 | £2,150,874.00 | |
| Flintshire | £1,236,150 | £1,301,400.00 | £2,295,918.00 | |
| Wrexham | £1,288,800 | £1,332,000.00 | £2,552,958.00 | |
| Total - North Wales Consortium | - | £6,331,050.00 | £12,264,480.00 | £12,861,180 |
| Powys | £765,900 | £810,900.00 | £1,463,292.00 | |
| Ceredigion | £458,100 | £447,300.00 | £838,134.00 | |
| Pembrokeshire | £1,160,100 | £1,167,750.00 | £2,373,948.00 | |
| Carmarthenshire | £1,690,200 | £1,663,650.00 | £3,161,592.00 | |
| Swansea | £2,670,750 | £2,755,350.00 | £5,227,092.00 | |
| Neath Port Talbot | £1,799,100 | £1,909,800.00 | £3,530,628.00 | |
| Total - ERW Consortium | - | £8,754,750.00 | £16,594,686.00 | £17,647,632 |
| Bridgend | £1,556,100 | £1,694,700.00 | £3,353,454.00 | |
| Vale of Glamorgan | £1,073,700 | £1,077,750.00 | £2,206,872.00 | |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | £3,382,650 | £3,442,950.00 | £6,614,190.00 | |
| Merthyr Tydfil | £810,000 | £850,950.00 | £1,550,502.00 | |
| Cardiff | £4,072,950 | £3,868,200.00 | £8,220,690.00 | |
| Total - Central South Consortium | - | £10,934,550.00 | £21,945,708.00 | £23,082,192 |
| Caerphilly | £2,484,000 | £2,669,850.00 | £5,078,622.00 | |
| Blaenau Gwent | £1,052,550 | £1,081,350.00 | £2,132,514.00 | |
| Torfaen | £1,029,600 | £1,172,250.00 | £2,179,332.00 | |
| Monmouthshire | £506,250 | £530,550.00 | £1,047,438.00 | |
| Newport | £1,762,650 | £1,814,850.00 | £3,839,994.00 | |
| Total - South East Consortium | - | £7,268,850.00 | £14,277,900.00 | £14,928,516 |
| Total - Wales | £24,061,000 | £33,289,200.00 | £65,082,774.00 | £68,519,520.00 |
Aled Roberts (North Wales): What percentage of schools in Wales publish details of their Pupil Deprivation Grant allocation on their website, as required by the terms and conditions of the grant? (WAQ67682)
Answer received on 9 September 2014
Huw Lewis: This information is not collected by the Welsh Government.
Under the terms and conditions of the Pupil Deprivation Grant, Education Consortia are responsible for ensuring that schools publish online their PDG allocation, details of how they have used the grant, their spend and its impact.
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the implementation of the Service Development and Commissioning Directives for Arthritis and Chronic Musculoskeletal Conditions, in relation to people with rheumatoid arthritis? (WAQ67675)
Answer received on 9 September 2014
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): We have undertaken an exercise with a range of stakeholders to review the Service Commissioning Directives for Arthritis and Chronic Musculoskeletal conditions, which include rheumatoid arthritis, taking into account their implementation. We are reviewing responses to this exercise before we convene a stakeholder workshop in late Autumn to agree the future direction of these services. The development of these services will also take into account the outcomes of recent prudent healthcare workshop on pain services. From an initial assessment it is clear the Directives remain broadly appropriate. However, further work may be required to raise the profile of the directives and their implementation.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister confirm whether a project to connect optometrists in Wales to the NHS IT infrastructure has resulted in legal action? (WAQ67676)
Answer received on 15 September 2014
Mark Drakeford: At this time we are not aware of any legal action resulting from the project to connect optometrists in Wales to the NHS IT infrastructure, which is funded by the Health Technology and Telehealth Fund and delivered by NHS Wales Informatics Services.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What provisions are currently in place to connect optometrists in Wales to the NHS IT infrastructure? (WAQ67677)
Answer received on 15 September 2014
Mark Drakeford: Optometrists are not currently able to connect to the NHS IT infrastructure. However, the project funded by the Health Technology and Telehealth Fund will provide a secure access gateway so all optometrists in Wales can connect via desktop or mobile devices.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What costs are associated with a project to connect optometrists in Wales to the NHS IT infrastructure? (WAQ67678)
Answer received on 15 September 2014
Mark Drakeford: The project has been awarded £749,000 from the Health Technology and Telehealth Fund.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Will the Minister make a statement on Welsh optometrists' use of the NHS IT infrastructure? (WAQ7679)
Answer received on 15 September 2014
Mark Drakeford: Welsh optometrists are not currently able to use to the NHS Wales IT infrastructure, because there is no secure access method provided. Referrals and supporting information are currently sent by post or fax with information entered manually onto NHS systems. The project - Connecting Optometry Practices to the NHS IT infrastructure - will provide a secure access gateway to enable electronic referrals, with detailed images, to be sent to and from secondary healthcare settings. It will also enable clinicians in primary and secondary sectors to co-manage patients by improving communication in the delivery of eye care services. This will support the continued improvement of eye care services in Wales.
To ask the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport
Kirsty Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire): Will the Minister make a statement on the link between intensive chicken farming and the increase in superbugs such as Campylobacter? (WAQ67680)
Answer received on 9 September 2014
The Minister for Economy, Science and Transport (Edwina Hart): Poultry farming systems of any size or method can lead to contamination of those poultry food products with campylobacter.
Campylobacter should not be referred to in the context of "superbugs" as this is a term commonly used to describe bacteria that have developed resistance to antibiotic drugs. Antibiotics are only used to treat Campylobacter in humans if the illness is unusually severe or prolonged.
In respect of superbugs in general, it is increasingly recognised that the legitimate, illegal or overuse of antibiotics and antimicrobials are major drivers for selecting bacteria that are resistant to such products.
To ask the Minister for Public Services
Russell George (Montgomeryshire): Will the Minister provide an update on the development and implementation of an Armed Forces card for the Welsh Armed Forces community? (WAQ67683)
Answer received on 15 September 2014
The Minister for Public Services (Leighton Andrews): Options are currently under consideration.